Power transmitter



NOV. 4 1 19240 P. A. HERR POWER TRANSMITTER 3 Sweets-Sheet 1 v FiledOct.

iNVENTOR ATTORNEY cgx Nov. 1924.

P. A. HERR POWER TRANSMITTER Filed Oct. 31. 1923' 3 Sheets-Sheet 2INVENTOR TTORNEY Mull/ Patented Nov. 4, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PARK A. HERB, OF EILLSIDE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGER MANUFAC-TURING COMPANY, OF ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

POWER TRANSMITTER.

Application filed ctober'31, 1923. Sertafl No. 671,824.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PARK HERB, a citi- 'zen ofthe United States,residing at Hillside, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Power Transmitters,of which the following is a specification, reference being had thereinto the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to power-transmitter mechanisms and moreparticularly to unitary motor and power-transmitter mechanismsadaptedfor use in' clothing manufacturing establishments as individualsewing machine drivers; each sewing machine having its own individualtransmitter mechanism or motor-and-transmitter unit.

In garment manufacturing establishments it is customary to arrange thesewing machines in rows upon long tables known as power tables;.eachsewing machine being belted to a power-transmitter mounted under thetable and connected to a treadle or the like, whereby the operator maystart and stop and control the speed of the sewing machine at will. Theseveral power-transmitters may receive their power from a lineshat't.running lengthwise of the table, or may each be combined with anindividual driving motor.

Being located below the table-top, these power-transmitters are more orless difficult of access and experience has taught that in factoryinstallations the matter of their proper lubrication is more oftenneglected than not; little thought being given the transmitters as longas they will run. When trouble arises or harsh or noisy running isexperienced, the shop mechanic is apt to give the transmitter a liberalapplication of oil, most of which is promptly thrown off by the rapidlyrotatin" parts and is spread over the lloor, the treadfe, the operatorand the work being operated upon, to the great. annoyance of allconcerned. Moreover, this treatment usually comes too late, as a certainamount of destructive Wear in the transmitter has already occurred,whereb the latter is apt to continue to run noisi y and unsatisfactorily. v

An object of the present invention is to provide a power-transmitterwhich will run quietly and efficiently for long periods withoutattention and which requires an applicatioln of lubricant only atinfrequent interva 8.

Another objectof the invention is to provide a power-transmitter whichwill take care of a liberal supply of lubricant withoutscattering itover the work and the surroundings in general.

A further object of the invention is to provide a power-transmitterwhereby a nice control may be had over the driven machine withoutexcessive lost motion in the control ling mechanism and without anytendenc of the transmitter parts to cramp or bin particularly when abraking effort is being applied.

To the attainment of the ends in view the driven shaft of thetransmitter, that is, the shaft carrying the driven clutch-element isjournaled in a non-rotating sleeve which, in turn, is journaled to slideendwise in a bearing in the transmitter frame. The driven shaft isforced to move endwise with the sleeve by the use of thrust bearingconnections at the opposite ends of the sleeve. The transmitter frame ispreferably formed with an oil reservoir and the slidable non-rotatingsleeve is provided with means for drawing the oil from the stationaryreservoir into the bearing between such sleeve and the driven shaft.Thespent oil escaping from the end of the sleeve is preferably caught byan internal groove in the frame bearing member and returned to thereservoir through a suitable duct.

The sleeve may be slid in its bearing by any suitable means such forexample as a treadle controlled lever. The driven clutchelement is disosed between a line clutchelement and a rake, so that when the sleeve ismoved endwise the driven clutch-element is positively carried intoengagement with either the driving element or the braking element. Abelt pulley for driving the sewing machine is mounted on the drivenshaft preferably at the outer end of the latter.

1n the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly insection, of a combined motor and power-transmitter unit embodying theinvention. Fi 2 is a reverse side elevation of the same. 1g. 3 is alongitudinal sectional view of the bearing sleeve for the driven shaftof the transmitter and Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44, Fig. 2.

The invention is shown as embodied in a motor-transmitter unitcomprising an electric motor having a frame 1 and powershaft 2; theframe having. feet 3 adapting it to be secured to the under side of atabletop 4. Keyed on the motor-shaft 2 is a driving element in the formof a fly-wheel 5 havwith a cylindrical guard rim 9 surrounding thedriving clutch-element 5. At its other end the transmitter frame isformed with a bearing boss 10 sustained from the rim 9 by the curvedwebs 11.

Slidably mounted in the bearing boss 10 is the sleeve 12 having at oneend a hollow cup-shaped head 13 for a ball-thrust bearing 14 betweensuch head and the hub of the driven clutch-element 15 which latter ispinned to the driven shaft 16 journaled to rotate in the sleeve 12. Thedriven clutchelement 15 is formed with a female conical surface intowhich is let the friction leather 17 adapted to mate with the conicaldriving portion 6 of the wheel 5. Driving relation between the clutchmembers 5 and 15 is established preferably by means of atreadlecontrolled lever 18 pivoted-on the pin 18 bridging the spacebetween the two" lowermost frame webs 11. The lever 18 is formed at itsupper end with a curved off-set arm 19 to which is fixed a hollow pin 20freely entering an aperture 21 in the head 13. A grease cup 22 is fittedto the hollow pin 20 and serves as a means for supplying lubricant tothe thrust-bearing 14.

The driven clutch-element 15 is formed with an annular plane surface 23which is adapted to be engaged by the stationary brake shoe 24 fitted toan arm 25 hung from The spring 36 will force the driveneelement enclutch-member between driving and braking positions. The screw 28enables the operator to compensate for wear on the driving and brakingleathers, 17 and 24, respec-. tively.

The lever 18 has fitted to its free end a. rod 30 formed with an eye 31through which passes the headed upper end of a treadle rod 32. A spring33 is interposed between the head 34 of the rod 32. and theeye 31 andcushions the downward or clutching force applied by the operator throughthe rod 32; The lever 18 is formed with a lateral lug 35 which isconnected by the spring 36 to a screw 37 threaded into the transmitterframe.

15 against the brake 24 with a certain predetermined pressure whichmay-be exceeded to any desired extent by the operator in .forcing therod 32 upwardly and causing the collar 37 to lift the arm 18 inconjunctionouter end of the bearing 10 and terminating with an oilthrow-oft flange 40 within the annular oil-catching groove 41 in thebearing 10. f

The inner end of the hub 39 is faced normal to its axis and hasinterposed between it and the sleeve 12 a bearing washer 42. Threadedinto the outer end of the shaft 16 is an adjustingscrew 43, the head ofwhich engages the outer end of the hub of the pulley 38 and serves todetermine the working clearance between thebearings at the ends ofthesleeve 12 and the hubs of the pulley 38 and driven member 15. Theadjustment is held by means of the set-screw 44.

The transmitter-frame is formed below the bearing 10 with an oilreservoir 45 cast integral with the transmitter frame and having an opentop at one-side of the bearing into which extends the bent oil-tube 46carried by and extending through the wall of the sleeve 12. The open topof the reservoir 45 is fitted with an open ended cover 47.

The sleeve 12 is formed with a longitudinal duct 48 intersecting thetube 46 and with an internal longitudinal groove-49 parallel to andspaced from the duct 48. A strip of wicking is laidin the groove 49 andthreaded through the duct 48 and tube 46 so as to dip into the reservoir45. The duct 48 is separated from the internal bearing surface of thesleeve 12 by a wall 50 of metal, Fig. 3, whereas the groove 49 is cutthrough the bearing surface to apply the lubricant to the shaft 16. Itwill be evident that the lubricant is drawn by capillary attraction fromthe reservoir 45 through the tube 46 and duct 48 to the opposite ends ofthe sleeve 12 from which it is supplied to the wicking in the groove 49and is distributed with uniformity throughout the length of the bearing.The i spent lubricant is eventually thrown fromthe flange 40 of thepulley 38 into the groove 41 from which it is returned by gravitythrough the duct 51 to the reservoir 45. Suflicient lubricant for thebearing between the sleeve 12 and the frame bearing support 10 will bedrawn into such bearing by capillarity from the groove 41. Since thesleeve "jeither the driving element or the brake ele- 12 does not rotatethis latter bearing requires but little oil.

A guard 52 of sheet metal is preferably placed about the pulley 38 andsupported by arms 53 curved around the opposite ends of the pivot pin18' so as to permit the guard to be swung about such pivot pin. Thespring arm 54 secured to the guard is provided with a depression 55 tosnap over one of the lower Webs 11 of the transmitter frame and hold theguard in raised or operative position.

In accordance with the present improvement 'the braking effort isapplied to the driven element lengthwise of the driven shaft andexcessive side thrust on the bearings, when braking, is avoided.Further, there is no tendency for the driven element to stick or becomelocked to the brake. This feature is particularly desirable where a nicecontrol of the driven machine is a desideratum.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim hereinis 1. A power-transmitter having spaced driving and brake elements, adriven element disposed between said driving and brake elements, asupporting frame formed with a bearing, a non-rotating sleeve slidablymounted in said bearing, a shaft journaled in said sleeve and confinedto move endwise with the latter, said driven element being carried bysaid shaft, means for moving said sleeve endwise in opposite directionsto carry said driven element into engagement with ment, and abelt-pulley mounted on said shaft.

2. A power-transmitter comprising a frame formed with a bearing, anon-rotating sleeve slidably mounted in said bearing, a shaft j ournaledin said sleeve, a driven clutchelement and a belt-pulley mounted on saidshaft at the opposite endsof said sleeve,

thrust-bearings between said sleeve and said driven clutch-element andbelt-pulley, means for sliding said sleeve in opposite directions, anddriving clutchand brake-elements disposed on opposite sides of saiddriven clutch element.

3. A power-transmitter comprising a frame formed with a bearing, anon-rotating sleeve slidably mounted in said bearing, a shaft journaledin said sleeve, a driven clutch-element and a belt-pulley mounted onsaid shaft at the opposite ends of said sleeve, thrust-bearings betweensaid sleeve and said driven clutch-element and beltpulley, means underthe control of the oper ator for sliding said sleeve in oppositedirections, driving clutchand brake-elements disposed on, opposite sidesof said driven clutch-element, and means for adjusting one of saidthrust-bearings lengthwlse of said shaft and relative to said sleeve.

4. A power-transmitter having, in combination, a frame, a non-rotatinsleeve mounted to slide endwise- 1n sai frame,

means for sliding said sleeve, a shaft journaled in said sleeve andconfined to move endwise with the latter, a driven clutchelement andbelt-pulley on said shaft, and a driving clutch-element opposed to saiddriven clutch-element.

5. A power-transmitter having, in combination, a frame, a non-rotatingsleeve mounted to slide endwise in said frame, means for sliding saidsleeve,,a shaft journaled in said sleeve and confined to move endwisewith the latter, a driven clutchelement and belt-pulley on said shaft,and driving and braking elements on opposite sides of said drivenclutch-element.

6. A power-transmitter having, in combination, a frame, a non-rotatingsleeve mounted to slide endwise in said frame, said sleeve having at oneend an enlarged cupped head, a ball thrust-bearing in said cupped head,a shaft journaled in said sleeve, a driven clutch-element on said shaftadjacent said thrust-bearing, a belt-pulley on said shaft adjacent theother end of said sleeve, a driving clutch-element opposed to saiddriven clutch-element, and means for sliding said sleeve.

7. A power-transmitter havin in combination, a driving element, a drivenelement, a shaft carrying said driven element, a sleeve in which saidshaft is journaled, means for preventin relative endwise movementbetween said shaft and sleeve, a bearing bracket in which said sleeve isslidingly mounted, a stationary oil-reservoir carried by said bracket,and means for conducting oil from said reservoir to the inner bearingsurface of said sleeve.

8.' A driving mechanism comprising, in combination, a motor having aframe and a power-shaft, a transmitter-frame rigidly assembled with themotor-frame and having a bearing in line with said shaft, a nonrotatingsleeve slidably mounted in said bearing, a driven shaft journaled insaid sleeve and having both its ends extended beyond the latter, adriven clutch member on the driven shaft at the end of said sleeveadjacent the motor, a belt-pulley on the shaft at the other end of saidsleeve, said driven clutch-member and belt-pulley confining said shaftto move endwise with said sleeve, a driving clutch-member, and means forsliding said sleeve.

9. A driving mechanism comprising, in combination, a motor having aframe and a power-shaft, a transmitter-frame rilglidly assembled withthe motor-frame and aving a bearing in line with said shaft, anonrotating sleeve slidably mounted in said bearing, a driven shaftjournaled in said sleeve and having both its ends extended beyond thelatter, a driven clutch-member on the driven shaft at the end of saidsleeve adjacent the motor, a belt-pulley on the shaft at the other endof said sleeve, said driven clutch-member and belt-pulley confiningsaidshaft to moveendwise with said sleeve, a driving clutch-member,means for sliding said sleeve, a stationary oil-reservoir in saidtransmitter-frame, means for conducting oil from said reservoir to theinner bearing surface of said sleeve, and means at the belt-pulley endof said sleeve for returning spent oil to the oil-reservoir.

10. In a power-transmitter, a driving clutch-element, a drivenclutch-element, a shaft carrying said driven clutch-element, a

sleeve in which said shaft is journaled for rotation and relative towhich said shaft is confined against endwise movement, a bearing bracketin which said sleeve is slidably mounted and confined against rotation,a

slot in the inner bearing surface of said sleeve, a lateral conduitsecured tosaid sleeve, an oil-reservoir carried by said bracket, a wickpassing from said oil-reservoir through said conduit to and along theslot inv said sleeve, and means for sliding said sleeve to establish andinterrupt driving relation between the clutclrelements.

. 11. A- driving mechanism comprising a driving clutch-element, a drivenclutch-element, a belt-pulley, a shaft carrying at its opposite endssaid driven clutch-element and belt-pulley, a bearing bracket for saidshaft between said driven clutclrelement and beltpulley, a sleeveslidably mounted in said bearing bracket, said shaft being journaled torotate in said sleeve and confined to move endwise with the latter, amanually operated lever connected to move said sleeve toward and awayfrom said driving clutchelement," and a stationary brake-element carriedby the frame on the side of the driven clutch-elementopposite thedriving clutch-element. p

12. A driving mechanism comprising a motor having a frame and apower-shaft, a

driving clutch-element on the motor-shaft, a transmitter frame rigidlyassociated with the motor-frame and having an oil-reservoir site end ofsaid shaft, and means for slid ing said sleeve.

13. A drlvlng mechanism comprising a drivingclutch-element, a drivenclutch-element, a shaft carrying said driven clutchelement, a sleeve inwhich said shaft is ournaled, said sleeve having at one end an enlarged'and cupped head, athrust-bearing for said driven elementfitted in saidhead, a frame in which said sleeve'is slidably mounted,,atreadle-controlled lever fulcrumed on said frame and connected to movesaid sleeve toward and away from said driving element, a belt-pulleymounted on said shaft adjacent the other end of said sleeve, and astationary brake adpated to cooperate with said driven element when thelatter is shifted away from the driving element.

14. In a power-transmitter, a driving clutch-element, a drivenclutch-element, 'a shaft carrying said driven clutch-element, anon-rotative sleeve in which said shaft is journaled, a transmitterframe in which said sleeve is slidably mounted, said frame being formedwith a lubricant reservoir, a lubricant duet connecting said sleeve tosaid reservoir, and means for sliding said sleeve.

15. In a power-transmitter, a driving clutch-element, a drivenclutch-element, a shaft carrying said driven clutch-element, anon-rotating sleeve in which said shaft is journaled, a transmitterframe in which said sleeve is slidably mounted, said frame being formedwith a lubricant reservoir, an oil duct carried by said sleeve andfitted with wicking extending into said reservoir, and means for slidingsaid sleeve.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

/ PARK A. HERB.

